BOSTON — Tom Brady has been sacked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Boston Globe reports that on Thursday the office informed lawyers for Brady’s company, TEB Capital Management Inc., that its request to trademark the phrase “Tom Terrific” was being refused in part because it is already closely linked to another Tom — Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver.

Brady’s company had filed applications to trademark the phrase for trading cards, posters, printed photographs and shirts.

The trademark office wrote that “Although Tom Seaver is not connected with the goods provided by applicant under the applied-for mark, Tom Seaver is so well-known that consumers would presume a connection.”